Category: Immigration reform

There are over 42.4 million immigrants currently residing in the United States. Of this number, about 26.3 million are members of the workforce, or nearly 17 percent of total U.S. employment. Some argue that native-born workers are losing employment opportunities due to the large number of immigrant workers, and are in favor of more restrictive immigration policies. But how would this actually affect employment for native-born workers?

In 2015, the overall unemployment rate for native-born workers (5.4 percent) was higher than that of foreign-born workers (4.9 percent). While these numbers may seem causal, many more native-born workers are leaving the labor force due to schooling, retirement or disability than their immigrant counterparts.

According to a 2015 Labor Force Characteristics Survey, competition between native- and foreign-born workers in the job market is low. Variables such as education level and where in the country immigrant workers reside affect the types of jobs they have, with many finding opportunities in industries with lower wages and fewer skills required.

Immigrant workers in more skilled positions tend to create more opportunities for native-born workers than is often assumed. The Americas Society/Council of the Americas and the Fiscal Policy Institute reported in 2013 that 18 percent of overall U.S. business ownership was made up of foreign-born workers, with another 18 percent of all Fortune 500 companies being founded by immigrants.

This means that immigrants are creating more potential jobs for native-born workers. One example of this is that for every foreign-born worker in the science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) fields, about 2.62 jobs for native workers are created, thus helping to refuel the economy and boost native employment.

By adding all of these factors together, it is clear that native-born workers would not benefit from the U.S. limiting the amount of immigrants allowed into the country. Through comprehensive immigration reform, both native- and foreign-born workers can benefit from more job opportunities across the board and continue contributing to our economic growth.

In the 2016 presidential race, the people of the United States are witnessing campaigns and talking points, along with the sheer number of candidates, like no other race in recent history. GOP frontrunner Donald Trump most often makes headlines for his language, especially toward immigrants, and his support for violence against those who disagree with him.

One of Trump’s most controversial plans involves sending all undocumented immigrants back to their home countries and building a wall on the U.S-Mexico border. Many of Trump’s devotees are just as supportive of the plan as he is.

Nearly 11 million undocumented immigrants currently live in the U.S., making up 5.1 percent of the labor force as of 2012. In a Trump administration, they might be rounded up and sent “home,” leaving thousands of jobs open. This does not mean a sudden surge of jobs for native-born American workers — rather, Americans may see fewer jobs and no raises. The service industry as we know it would collapse, as an estimated 35 percent of service industry jobs are made up of undocumented workers, according to Pew Research analyses based on Census data.

The actual process of deporting all 11 million or so undocumented immigrants is a costly plan, besides the blow the economy would take with the open jobs. In the two year timeframe that Trump is proposing, the overall cost would add up to at least $400 billion dollars, along with reducing the U.S. GDP by $1 trillion. Why such a high cost? The process of detaining undocumented immigrants, trying them in court and transporting them to their home countries is not built for a mass deportation; the number of federal agents would need to increase to 90,000, much higher than our current 4,000 agents. Detention facilities would require an increase in beds from 34,000 to nearly 348,831 beds, with 1,300 new courts needed to try all the individuals facing deportation. This, in turn, would require 30,000 more attorneys. The actual deportation itself would require about 87 buses and 47 chartered flights to be sent out every day for two years.

In addition to all the combined setbacks of a mass deportation, one of Trump’s biggest plans — building a wall between Mexico and the U.S. — would only add more to the financial burden the U.S. is facing. Although Trump and his supporters are adamant about making a border wall paid for by Mexico a reality, Mexican Treasury Secretary Luis Videgaray said, “Mexico will under no circumstance pay for the wall Mr. Trump is proposing.” The cost for the wall alone, based on the cost of highway panels, is about $10 billion — not including other factors like surveillance, labor, equipment, and security.

Trump’s plan to “make America great again” fails to acknowledge that much of the greatness that we know today can be credited to immigrants, both documented and undocumented. We’ve seen just fractions of the costs of Trump’s immigration plan, and his plans to cut off federal grants to sanctuary cities and triple the number of Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers only adds to the underlying economic problems the U.S. faces. What’s more, Trump is calling for a moratorium on green cards for foreign work, and could likely make the already complicated and drawn out process of legal immigration even more difficult.

Even so, immigrants, Mexican or otherwise, will not stop coming to the United States. Turning them away or ramping up security will help neither our economy nor those looking to live in the U.S. Under a Donald Trump presidency, the strides taken toward comprehensive immigration reform will likely be in vain, which we must keep in mind when voting in November. We know the positive impacts immigrants make on the U.S. economy through their entrepreneurship. Deporting undocumented immigrants and putting a hold on H1-B visas will not help the country continue to grow; comprehensive immigration reform will allow us to see America and its people become even greater.

Immigrant workers are far more entrepreneurial than many people realize. Immigrants have founded 18 percent of all Fortune 500 companies, and make up 18 percent of overall U.S. business ownership. Through a variety of businesses, immigrants are creating more jobs for American workers.

Many immigrants own Main Street businesses, such as restaurants, grocery stores and clothing stores. While many immigrants find themselves without resources to start these endeavors, some cities with large immigrant populations are developing programs to help these would-be business owners access the tools they need.

Historically, many immigrants have come to Chicago. Currently, the city’s Little Village neighborhood is home to the largest Mexican community in the Midwest, with a thriving commercial corridor along 26th Street. In fact, after downtown Chicago’s Magnificent Mile business, the 26th Street commercial corridor is the city’s second largest contributor to business tax revenue .

To foster similar development (and tax revenue), representatives from communities and sectors across the city developed the Chicago New Americans Plan to capitalize on immigrants’ potential as business owners. Through the plan, new programs help provide immigrants with resources to start their own businesses. For example, the Restaurant Startup Guide and program simplifies the business application process and specifies zoning and permit particulars, helping expedite restaurant launches.

While Chicago has served as a well-known immigrant hub for generations, other cities are now welcoming new immigrants. Dayton, Ohio created the “Welcome Dayton” plan to integrate these new residents into the community. Along with this, the Ohio Small Business Development Center, as part of the federal Small Business Administration, helps immigrants overcome the barriers to starting a business and bridge the gaps between community groups to help potential entrepreneurs learn about valuable resources.

Similarly, Nashville, Tennessee is also steadily developing resources to extend its welcome mat to immigrants. Groups like the Tennessee Immigrant Refugee Rights Coalition and Conexión Américas are working to educate immigrants on business ownership. Since its inception in 2009, the Mayor’s New Americans Advisory Council has transformed from bridging the city’s immigrant communities and the Metro Government to become the Nashville Mayor’s Office of New Americans. The office helps immigrants access resources for economic and educational opportunities.

While these cities’ welcoming actions are laudable, they’re also driving important conversations about what cities and immigrants want and need. Cities seeking the benefits of immigrant entrepreneurship are finding great value in offering resources to help immigrants launch new businesses. Beyond the city’s revenue streams, entire communities benefit from a strong small business climate

As of 2013, nearly 41 million immigrants live in the U.S., about 13 percent of the total population. Nearly 11 million of those individuals are undocumented. Through these immigrants, the U.S. is still a melting pot of ethnic and cultural diversity, while immigration itself remains a heated issue.

Debates on immigration often entail discussing the impact immigrants have on the U.S. economy. Increasingly, research finds that the economic impacts are positive.

Nearly 26 million foreign-born workers are in the U.S. labor force, including both lawful permanent residents (LPRs) and undocumented or unauthorized immigrants. Within the same workplace, it’s common for foreign-born workers to work side by side with native-born workers. These two groups tend to complement each other, rather than taking away jobs for native-born workers.

In 2013, Americas Society/Council of the Americas and the Fiscal Policy Institute reported that foreign-born workers made up 18 percent of overall U.S. business ownership, with 28 percent of Main Street business — such as grocery stores, restaurants and clothing stores — owned by foreign-born workers. These small businesses create jobs while serving their communities.

Many of the jobs employing foreign-born workers fall in the STEM (science, technology, engineering and math) fields, where talent supply has not kept up with demand. With the unemployment rate in these fields so low, and the demand for STEM workers so high, employing foreign-born workers has little effect on the unemployment rate of native-born workers.

In fact, 18 percent of all Fortune 500 companies were founded by immigrants. These companies, such as Verizon, Procter & Gamble, eBay, Google and Comcast, have generated nearly $2 trillion in annual revenue as of 2010, with 3.6 million workers worldwide.

Overall, foreign-born workers contribute positively to the U.S. economy, greatly outweighing the negatives cited by anti-immigration activists. Highly-educated immigrants create more jobs, often though their own companies, fueling economic growth that is sometimes overlooked during the heated immigration debate. With the push for comprehensive immigration reform growing stronger, the economic benefits speak volumes. As the nation moves forward from the Great Recession, let’s not lose sight of positive impacts on the economy — immigration included.

On Nov. 20, 2014, President Obama announced a series of executive actions that would affect undocumented immigrants in the United States. The new Deferred Action for Parental Accountability program and the expansion of the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program garnered the most attention.

DACA aims to protect children who entered the U.S. before the age of 16 and who have lived in the country continuously since at least Jan. 1, 2010. Likewise, DAPA protects the parents of children who are citizens or lawful permanent residents. These programs are not intended as fast tracks to citizenship, though; qualified individuals must reapply every three years.

It’s been a year since President Obama’s announcement, and it seems there has not been much progress in moving forward with these plans.

Shortly after Obama’s announcement, several states took legal action to counteract these measures. A Texas federal judge blocked the measures, arguing that since some details were not published in the Federal Register, there was no allowance for public comments. Meanwhile, similar actions taken by other states and lower courts, similar to that of Texas, prompted the Obama Administration to appeal to the Supreme Court in November 2015.

As a result, many of the related programs haven’t been enacted or expanded, which may raise the possibility of deportation for many.

Since Obama’s initial announcement, the conversation regarding undocumented immigration has become more hostile among certain pockets of the population. As presidential hopeful Donald Trump gains support with his anti-immigrant language, many pro-reform activists now stress the urgency of voter registration and participation.

Meanwhile, Supreme Court review could be delayed until after President Obama leaves the White House. To keep reform moving in the meantime, immigration supporters and activists are working to gather support and register voters, encouraging them to vote in the upcoming primary elections., Activists are relying on a heavy turnout of immigrant voters in both the primaries and the general election to elect pro-reform candidates

Whether these actions take effect while President Obama is in office or after his presidency, activists and supporters will keep pushing for reform on all levels. Even so, we know that comprehensive immigration reform would ultimately resolve the shortcomings posed by smaller reforms like DAPA and DACA. Given the current political environment, the earliest that could happen is 2017 after the Presidential election.